5.3 LS Swap into 91 318i

[jbontke]

Instead of the magnum, why not grab a t56 from a LS or LT1 engine and save some $$$? I bought one for $1500 that came out of a wrecked car. It came with a clutch and flywheel as well. It was a gamble as i later found that the case and tail shaft needed replacement, but that was an extra $300 off ebay. I have not rebuilt it, but the plan is to grab the dodge viper output shaft (raises torque rating to 550 ft lbs) and replace the synchros with really nice ones for better shifting. I have seen similar ones sold for $2500.

[DividedBeing]

After deliberation over the last few days and some discussions with a few guys who have LS Swaps, I decided I'm going the extra mile (read: wallet melting route) and buying a T-56 Magnum.
My primary reason for considering the GS6-53BZ was because of replacability, since buying a used T-56 without having it rebuilt is a major gamble IMO. A used T-56 is anywhere from $1800-$2500 typically. The T-56 Magnum is $3195 brand new.
Speedway Motorsports has free shipping on the Ford version. I'm hoping I can convince them to offer free shipping on the LS version, but I might be able to find free shipping elsewhere.

I figure if I somehow blow this beast of a transmission up, I'll just send it to RPM Motorsports and let them build it to survive a bombing.
In any case, this pushes me back a couple weeks. I'm half way to being able to buy this thanks to my tax return, but I've been doing most of my parts orders in like $500-1000 increments.

Anyway, posting up a new video tonight.

[DividedBeing]

Thanks! I have yet to even see them in person xD. Yeah he kinda tried to get me into them when I was younger but it was more like "heres how to do your oil and spark plugs etc). Kinda worked myself into doing more and more from just reading these posts on the forum, I've been trying to convince him that the E30 is a great car and he should get another one so we can match haha...

I learn everything from forums and youtube videos. I'm 31 now and it's helped me keep my cars on the road since I was 16, so a lot of reading and watching videos has payed off dividends by being able to do most of what I need done without a mechanic.

[Slybeanx]

I thought they look good! It's cool that you and your dad are working on a car together. Wish my Dad was into cars. Good luck with the build.

Thanks! I have yet to even see them in person xD. Yeah he kinda tried to get me into them when I was younger but it was more like "heres how to do your oil and spark plugs etc). Kinda worked myself into doing more and more from just reading these posts on the forum, I've been trying to convince him that the E30 is a great car and he should get another one so we can match haha...

[DividedBeing]

Hahaha, I most likely am since I haven't seen anyone else posting reupholstered seats on FB recently.

I thought they look good! It's cool that you and your dad are working on a car together. Wish my Dad was into cars. Good luck with the build.

[Slybeanx]

Thanks man. Glad to have you following along. Are you the dude who had that dork heckling you about your seat cover stitching on facebook?

Hahaha, I most likely am since I haven't seen anyone else posting reupholstered seats on FB recently.

[DividedBeing]

sub'd, love the build

Thanks man. Glad to have you following along. Are you the dude who had that dork heckling you about your seat cover stitching on facebook?

[Slybeanx]

sub'd, love the build

[DividedBeing]

Really loving how this is coming together. Picked up a LS1 Intake manifold with throttle body for $140. Scrubbed it with some purple power and a toothbrush then blew a lot of compressed air at it to get the grime off. Have new gaskets on the way.

[DividedBeing]

Got the heads back on and torqued down. Closed up the valve covers, but I still need to order a trunnion kit, so rocker arms and lifters aren't back in yet. I'm hoping to get the oil pan on tomorrow or Monday so I can put my mounts on and plop this baby in the engine bay.

[DividedBeing]

Sure isn't how the situation looks. You also had the option to say "sure man, whatever" and leave it.

At this point, I'm
not surprised that your judgment distorted reality like that . I've said multiple variants of "sure, man" and left it multiple times.
You keep coming back for more.

[The Dark Side of Will]

Personally, I don't care how you feel about it.

Sure isn't how the situation looks. You also had the option to say "sure man, whatever" and leave it.

[The Dark Side of Will]

that's interesting, I never heard that before. obviously you have to overlap to some extent when you have to replace your filler rod/stick electrode and tie in but your saying that when those three stringers meet from different directions and terminate at the same point that its bad?

Buildings pay more attention to this than cars because the building is (probably) going to be around longer--which means accumulating more stress cycles--and the impacts of failure are bigger... but if you look at exposed steel structure in buildings, you'll mostly see discontinuous beads. The welds are planned to use a whole stick, then they leave space before starting the next bead with a new stick.

In a weld, the fused material solidifies, but is still WAY hotter than the surrounding material. As the fused material cools, it contracts. This puts a tensile stress into the surrounding material. A perpendicular bead over the first does the same thing, but at 90 degrees to the first. So the corners of the HAZ around the intersection of beads have multi-axial stress acting on them, which is a big factor in susceptibility to fatigue failure.

[DividedBeing]

Or you could get butt hurt because I'm not worshiping your build.
Your choice.

Don't really need you to worship my build, man. Personally, I don't care how you feel about it. Ultimately it's for me and I'm having fun sharing as the project progresses. Feel free to keep heckling if you want, just seems unnecessary to me.

[hkv]

Those are definitely nice stacks of dimes, but in actual structural welding, overlapping beads is a no-no because the extra stress the second weld puts into the material around the first bead sets the best conditions for a fatigue crack to form. That mount arm is probably ok, because the overlapped beads are "in the middle" and not subject to the highest stresses... but just because it's pretty doesn't mean it's good. The gusset that is there should have the inside corner hollowed out so the beads don't overlap.

that's interesting, I never heard that before. obviously you have to overlap to some extent when you have to replace your filler rod/stick electrode and tie in but your saying that when those three stringers meet from different directions and terminate at the same point that its bad?